Speculative Fiction book reviews by Spike Gelato

Best Non-2017 Books I Read in 2017

Yes, that title is a mouthful. This is the list I made for books I couldn’t put on my Top 10 Books of 2017 list…because they didn’t come out in 2017. I read 34 non-2017 novels this year. Here are 5 that I thought were particularly good:

I was completely taken with Senlin Ascends right from the outset. Author Josiah Bancroft’s words paint a vivid picture of a peculiar world where nothing is as it seems. Bancroft’s prose is lyrical and conveys a sense of grand adventure that I rarely find in my reading life. See full review here.

The narrative is told in a very straightforward way, with propulsive pacing and a tremendous amount of momentum. It’s engrossing from start to finish with few lulls along the way. It easily joins the ranks of my favorite science fiction novels. See full review here.

Robin Hobb creates such a clear picture of human nature and emotion with her writing…I enjoyed Royal Assassin immensely and burned through it just wanting to know what would become of our dear protagonist. See full review here.

Royal Assassin was my door back into the Realm of the Elderlings series, and I’m so glad I I walked through it — it was the best book of the best series I finished in 2017.